Sutures are commonly used to close incisions and to reunite damaged tissue. Typically, the sutures are passed through the tissue and the free ends of the sutures are tied together. In many instances, the suturing site is exposed to an extent that is sufficient to permit the surgeon to quickly tie the suture by hand. However, in some procedures, such as arthroscopic surgery, the suturing site is inaccessible by hand. As a result, the surgeon must tie the suture ends into a knot at a location remote from the suture site, and then manipulate suitably configured instruments for sliding the knot to the site.
For example, an arthroscopic surgical procedure usually employs a small-diameter cannula that extends through a small incision made in a joint. The sutures extend from the suturing site through the cannula. The exposed free ends of the sutures are tied by the surgeon and the knot is slid through the cannula to the suturing site. Such a suturing procedure is time consuming and can result in knots that do not hold the suture ends with sufficient tension to securely reunite the tissue.